3
As James walked into the Riverside bar, a favorite hangout of his, he looked around. There were more red uniforms tonight than usual. His first thought was they were in the middle of a sweep and these were recruits. Some of them were probably cadets home on leave before heading back to San Francisco for classes. He did a quick, thorough scan of all the faces he could see but didn't recognize anyone from a past bar-fight, so it was safe. Most of the fights he got into weren't his fault, and usually ended pretty quickly. He knew how to fight when that was his only option, though he really preferred to talk it over, but his aggressors usually weren't in the mood. He couldn't remember how many half-drunk redcoats he'd dropped with a nifty trick Spock had taught him once. It was hard to do if you weren't Vulcan, but he'd mastered the to'tsu'k'hy and wasn't afraid to use it in a stiff situation. As he found a seat at the bar, he looked around again. Ordering what looked like the safest drink on the menu, something he didn't do all that often, he listened and watched.
About an hour after he showed up, a pretty dark-skinned female Cadet walked in and approached the bar after greeting some friends of hers already in the thrall of revelries. James perked up and watched her. She was taller than most girls who came around, and she looked real smart, she had a good head on her shoulders. No fooling around with this one. Not that he was in the mood tonight, he wasn't really sure why he'd come down. She sat down two seats down from him and placed an order for more drinks than he was sure she would be able to finish herself. He didn't say anything, though.
Jesus Christ, Kirk. He thought acidly, What're you doing down here? There's nothing for you in here, you know that! He finished his beer, set the empty bottle down, and motioned for another one. The bartender set it down, his expression curious.
"Haven't seen you in a few months, Kirk."
"Trying to stay out of trouble, Lew." He twisted the bottle between his fingers, "Just keepin' a low profile, my friend."
"Heard you won that race out in Saratoga last week. Congrats."
"Thanks. I gave the money to Leiani and David."
"Always do, kid." Lew wiped down the bar and leaned against it, "What's your problem, Kirk?"
"Hmm?"
"You could be in the fleet by now, maybe even captain with your brains. What's holding you back?"
"I don't know, Lew. I think if I knew that, I wouldn't be in here looking for it." He sighed, "The Academy never really held any special appeal."
"Eh, just thought I'd give it a shot."
"Thanks, Lew." He smiled and toasted the bartender, who knew him by first name from all the time he spent in this place. Then he moved to a corner and just watched, nursing his beer. His peace didn't last long, not that he'd expected it to.
"Hey, farmboy, move!" a voice snarled above him. James looked up and eyed the quartet of cadets before him, "That's my seat!"
"Last I checked, it didn't have your name on it." He didn't move, "This is public property, I can sit wherever I damn well want to."
"You're not welcome here, punk." the ringleader hissed, grabbing him by the collar.
"Oh come on. You don't want to fight me."
"Yeah, I do."
"First of all, you're drunk. And second of all, get your hands off me." He pulled away, "I can come in here if I want to, I don't need your special permissions." He hadn't come for a fight, and he did the smart thing, he walked away. A hand landed on his shoulder and the burly cadet, who had a half a foot on him in height and at least fifty pounds in weight or more, spun him around. He couldn't duck the first swing, but he ducked the second. It was an all-out brawl within seconds, James resorted to his old Vulcan fall-backs. He had all but his chief aggressor floored in a minute, and he turned on the ringleader, nailed him with a swift uppercut and took him down with a to'tsu'k'hy maneuver that knocked him out. A sharp, shrill whistle pierced the brawling and everything stopped. James looked up and stiffened.
"Captain Pike!"
"Outside!" the tall, blonde officer snapped, "All of you! Now!" the bar emptied real quick. James stayed still as Pike stepped over one of the brawlers, brought down with one of the moves Spock had taught him on his last visit to Vulcan a few years back.
"Well, damn. James Kirk. I assume you didn't start this?"
"No, sir, I did not."
"Never do." Pike shook his head, "But you sure know how to end 'em. Are you alright, son?"
"Better than they will be." He knew he'd probably broken his nose, again, and he'd have a black eye for sure. Maybe a broken hand.
"Here, clean yourself up." Pike handed him a handkerchief, which he promptly put to good use. They found a corner table and Pike had him sit down, "How's your mother?"
"She's good." He knew Pike wasn't asking about his biological mother, he hadn't had contact with her in...a little too long.
"How's your dad?"
"Same." He smiled at that one. Of all the people in the Federation, all the officers in Starfleet, Christopher Pike was the only one who'd ever learned the truth about George Kirk and David Horn.
"I've gotta hand it to you, kid, that was a short brawl."
"I learned how to pick my fights, and fight if that was all I could do."
"You don't fight with any style I've seen before. Where'd you learn your moves?"
"I've got a friend on Vulcan who's been a real good teacher. He taught me the handy little trick I used to drop the big one."
"I saw that move, how'd you do that? He was twice your size!"
"Size doesn't matter when you get in a to'tsu'k'hy."
"Fancy word for something simple, I assume?"
"Ever hear of the Vulcan nerve-pinch, sir?"
"Yeah, but I've never...oh." Pike understood, "That's what you use to end these little encounters?"
"Works every time. No permanent damage done and peace is restored."
"And it's quick."
"That's the beauty of it." He rubbed his shoulder, "I've never personally been on the receiving end of one in a fight situation, but I've been knocked out a few times in practice."
"Ever last long?"
"The pressure applied determines how long they'll be out for." He shrugged, "I've never lost consciousness for more than ten seconds. The longest Spock got me down was thirty. That freaked him out, he thought he'd killed me."
"Your Vulcan friend, I assume?"
"Yeah, really good friend." He sipped his beer, a new one on the house. My best friend. He corrected. Pike smiled and chuckled.
"You know why I came down here, Kirk?"
"Not to referee barfights, I know that much."
"No, I came down here to see if you'd finally buck up."
"And join Starfleet?" He stared at his beer bottle, "Any other night I'd say you were nuts, but tonight...I don't know why I came down here."
"Come on, James, you owe it to your parents. Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes, saved eight hundred lives including yours. He's never pushed you, has he?"
"I know they'd like me to go into Starfleet, but when I never showed a driving interest they didn't push me. I appreciated that, it gave me time to figure out my life and spend more time on Vulcan."
"You speak of that place fondly."
"I kind of have a second family there, sir." He looked up, wondering if it was safe to divulge one tiny personal secret. Pike arched an eyebrow.
"A second...family?"
"Yes, sir. I, uh, kind of have a deeply personal relationship with Ambassador Sarek and his family. I haven't visited in a couple years and I feel really bad about that." He didn't just feel bad, he felt guilty, "Especially since his son joined Starfleet, they've got nobody at home anymore. I kept meaning to go out and see them, but I never got around to it."
"Hmm. Well, I've got a proposal for you. Join Starfleet, James, make something of yourself. Four years you'll be a Commander, eight you'll be a Captain. Tops."
"Low on the enlistment quota this month?" he couldn't help being a little smart with the recruiting officer. He knew Captain Pike pretty well, that's the only reason he could talk back like this without getting smacked around.
"Come on, James, I'm serious. If nothing else, you can write to them and tell them you've done something really worth celebrating." Pike studied him, "I can tell you it'd sure make your old man happy." James was about to say no, but for some reason Amanda Grayson's face came into his head. He didn't know why it was her and not Leiani, but he smiled. He'd really like to be able to tell Amanda and Sarek that he'd finally buckled down and enlisted, that would make them proud. James set aside his beer and looked at Pike.
"What time's that shuttle leaving in the morning?"
"What?"
"That was a pretty obvious question. Do I have to repeat it?"
"No. I just never thought I'd hear you ask!"
"I'm full of surprises." He grinned, "So, what time?"
"Shuttle boards at seven. Be there."
"Riverside Shipyards?"
"You know the place."
"Oh sure, used to sit there and watch them build the Enterprise. She'll be a beauty when she's ready to fly." He got to his feet and stuck out one hand, "Thanks, Captain."
"You're welcome. Though I think I'm the one who should be thanking you."
"See you tomorrow." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, "Bye, Lew! See ya round!"
"Not anytime soon, kid! Good luck in San Francisco!" Lew called cheerfully. He found his bike and drove home, his mind whirling. Tomorrow was the beginning of a new start, a new start he badly needed. When he got home, he sat outside for a few minutes and tried to figure out how to tell his parents he was finally doing the one thing he'd always wanted to do but hadn't been brave enough to admit it. Finally, he figured it out and went inside.
Leiani Horn looked up as the front door opened and knew James was finally home.
"Mom? Dad?" he called out, she heard the clatter of his keys hitting the side-table.
"In the den, James!" she looked at David, who peered over the top of the book he was reading. James came in and she knew he'd been in a bar-fight. She was so used to seeing those cuts and bruises she was no longer surprised.
"Go get the kit and tell us what happened."
"See, that's the good news!" he called from the kitchen, where he hunted around for the first-aid kit, "Hey, that reminds me! What's the time on Vulcan right now?"
"On Vulcan? Why?" David frowned. Leiani looked at the chronograph on the wall above the mantle that showed the current time and the time on Vulcan.
"It's two hours after breakfast. Why?"
"That's good. Can you do me a favor and call Sarek and Amanda?"
"Why?" Leiani tried to read her foster-son, "James, what have you done?" She followed him into the kitchen.
"I only want to say it once, and I want to tell them. Please?" He looked at her with an expression she hadn't seen on his face since childhood.
"I'm sure they'd be thrilled to hear from you, James. It's been so long."
"I know, and I feel really bad about that." James carried the kit out to the den where David was already making the call. While it went through, Leiani cleaned up the bruises and dried blood.
"How many was it tonight?"
"Just four."
"Who looked worse?"
"They did. Captain Pike actually laughed."
"Oh, how's Christopher?"
"He's good. We had a chat, it was actually kind of nice to talk to him one on one. I like him, he's a good guy."
"If Starfleet had more officers like him, the Federation would be a more peaceful place." David frowned. She finished cleaning up James just as the transmission went through and was accepted. As expected, Sarek and Amanda were absolutely thrilled to hear from James.
"I think James has some news he wants to share with us, with all of us." Leiani smiled, "It seemed very important for him to have you made aware at the same time we were."
Once the transmission to Vulcan had been made and accepted, James felt a flutter of nerves as he tried to anticipate their reactions.
"You look very pleased, James, would you share your happiness?" Sarek prompted gently. James gulped, blushed, and took a deep breath.
"Well, I met Captain Pike down at Lew's tonight, and we talked. We talked about a lot of things, but most importantly we talked about Starfleet." He couldn't stop or he would never get it out right, "Starting tomorrow, I won't be home for a while. I'll be moving to San Francisco."
"Where are you going, James?" Amanda asked with all the motherly concern in the world. He looked at his own parents and braced himself.
"I've enlisted in Starfleet, I go to San Francisco to start at the Academy tomorrow morning. The shuttle leaves at seven from Riverside Shipyards."
"Was this a recent decision you've made, James?" Even though he wasn't smiling, Sarek's voice held all of the pride this admission brought to him.
"Yes, Sarek. As recently as an hour ago, and it's not something I see myself regretting anytime in the near future. I figured I owed it to myself and to my parents, to do the one thing I've always wanted." He couldn't help but feel a smidge of pride. His parents were in shock, but that quickly gave way to happiness.
"It seems I may be inclined to pay another visit to Earth sooner than I anticipated. I fully look forward to seeing you at the Academy on my next visit, James."
"And I share your anticipation, Ambassador." More than you can imagine. He raised one hand in salute, "Mene sakkhet ur-seveh."
"Sochya eh dif, Solen." Sarek used the Vulcan name he had adopted on his second visit to the home-world, only used in the most specific of circumstances. Almost no one outside his very exclusive family unit even knew he had a second name. It was going to stay that way.
"Ram-halan, sa-mekh." He smiled as the connection was ended from Vulcan, sighed heavily as the screen went blank, and closed his eyes.
"James, you've just made Sarek happier than he's been in years." Leiani hugged him, "Nemaiyo, sa-fu." James felt very good about himself. Everyone important to him was happy, and he wanted them to be happy.
That night, James could barely sleep, but sleep he did and wake refreshed early the next morning. He said goodbye to his parents, and set off for the Shipyards even before the sun was up. When he arrived, he had a few minutes to spare.
"Good morning, Captain Pike!" he called cheerfully as he trotted up to the shuttle.
"Good morning, James. There's a place nearer the front of the shuttle, I might suggest sitting there."
"Thanks for the warning, sir, mightily appreciate it." He grinned, cut a lopsided salute, and boarded the shuttle. He passed the foursome from last night's brawl, passed them without a word, ignoring their disgusted, hateful looks, and found an empty seat. He was just getting settled when he heard a ruckus.
"I don't need a doctor, damnit, I am a doctor." someone was complaining, and James looked over curiously.
"You need to get back to your seat." the flight officer appeared half-dragging a rather bedraggled-looking gentleman.
"I had one. In the bathroom with no windows." The man, obviously a civilian and maybe a little drunk, was trying to make a point to an unreceptive audience.
"Sit down, sir, or I'll make you sit down!" the flight officer snapped.
"Fine." The civilian sat down, right next to James. He looked at James and said the strangest thing, "I may throw up on ya."
"I think these things are pretty safe." He wondered what this guy's problem was.
"Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats." This guy was on a roll, and all James could do was sit and listen, "And wait till you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."
"Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space." He finished buckling the harness. Whoever this guy was, he had some issues that really needed to be worked out.
"Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones."
"You got a name?"
"McCoy, the name's Leonard McCoy."
"James Kirk." He shook hands with the jittery civilian, "Mind if I call you Bones?"
"Better than most of the stuff I've been called, kid. Help yourself." McCoy handed him a little flask full of Saurian brandy, the good kind by the taste of it. As they got underway, James finally gave voice to his foremost thought.
"Por shinsarat." he muttered under the roar of the thrusters. McCoy didn't hear him, and even if he had James very much doubted the man knew any Vulcan fluently enough to know exactly what he'd just said.
That morning was just the beginning of James's adventures in Starfleet. The next three years passed by in a dizzying whirl of classes, simulation practices, and trying to figure out a way to beat the Academy's infamous unbeatable Kobayashi Maru scenario. He knew there was a way and put all of his computer smarts to work trying to find it. Finally, in third year, he found it and reprogrammed the procedurals of the scenario's central programming.
Translations of Vulcan phrases used in this chapter
to'tsu'k'hy = Vulcan nerve-pinch
Mene sakkhet ur-seveh = Long live and prosper
Sochya eh dif = Peace and long life (response to "Long live and prosper")
Ram-halan = farewell/good bye; a parting salutation
sa-mekh = father, in this case a term of endearment between James and Sarek
Por shinsarat = you're out of you're mind
Nemaiyo = thank you
sa-fu = son